London W1 Improv

Confronted with a name as spandex-wearingly awful as [B]Little Mothers[/B], anything is going to be a bonus...

Product Overview

London W1 Improv

Product:

London W1 Improv

Confronted with a name as spandex-wearingly awful as Little Mothers, anything is going to be a bonus. So hearing gravelly Delta-vocals straight from the mouths of pigeon-chested white boys is something of a surprise. If, however, you’re expecting the new [a]Beta Band[/a], just forget it.

It’s easy to see where the mistake arises though, because at times [a]Little Mothers[/a] are very good. Like when ‘Twisted Sister’ growls itself into snaking beat eclecticism, or the acoustic pleasures of ‘The Worry’ get swamped in HAL computer-style keyboards. Top marks too for writing a song called ‘Can’t Leave Myself Alone’ about that most solitary of pursuits, masturbation, and turning it into a sing-along.

Unfortunately, [a]Little Mothers[/a] never take it far enough. They might have musty old folk/blues pastoralism and rhythms fallen from the back of Beck‘s lorry, but they never assemble them into anything to make your jaw drop, or suspend your natural suspicion of bongo workouts. Nothing, in fact, to suggest The Beta Band need worry even remotely.

A shame then, but with only brief flashes of inspiration on show, [a]Little Mothers[/a] turn out to be almost as prosaic as their name suggests.

This Week's Magazine

Connect With Us

NME Newsletter

Your email address:

By submitting your details, you will also receive emails from Time Inc. UK, publisher of NME and other iconic brands about its goods and services, and those of its carefully selected third parties. Please tick here if you’d prefer not to hear about:

Time Inc.'s goods & services, including all the latest news, great deals and offers